Foot operated patio door lock

ABSTRACT

A device for locking sliding patio doors and the like employing an over-center spring-induced toggle action imparted to a lock bolt to selectively urge the lock bolt into locked position or hold it in an unlocked position. The spring functions as a keeper for retaining the bolt in the locked position and as a stop for determining the unlocked position of the bolt. A pedal member impinging on the spring releases the lock by forcing the spring to shift the bolt from locked to unlocked position.

United States Patent Hawkins 1 1 Aug. 7, 1973 [54] FOOT OPERATED PATIO DOOR LOCK 3,626,507 12/1971 Hawkins 292/175 [76] Inventor: Donald B. Hawkins, PO. Box 221,

San Leandro, Calif, 94577 Primary Examiner-Albert G. Craig, Jr. Filed y 1 1972 AttorneyHarris Zimmerman 21 A l. N 249675 1 pp 57 ABSTRACT 52 us. Cl 292/170 292/175 292/182 A device for Ocking Sliding Patio and like b employing an over-center spring-induced toggle action 51 Int. Cl. Ec 1/00 EOSc 13/02 imparted a lock Selectively the [58] Field of Search /90 DIG. into locked position or hold it in an unlocked position. 292/l38 143 145 152 3 1.75 The spring functions as a keeper for retaining the bolt in the locked position and as a stop for determining the I unlocked position of the bolt. A pedal member imping- [56] References Cited ing on the spring releases the lock by forcing the spring UNITED STATES PATENTS to shift the bolt from locked to unlocked position 2,221,110 11/1940 Ross 292/164 9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEIJAUG mu FlG 5- FIG 6 FOOT OPERATED PATIO DOOR LOCK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many locks are known in the prior art for locking a sliding patio door, or the like, in closed position. Typically such a lock includes a bracket secured to the door frame sill and arranged to mount a bolt manipulable between positions of locked engagement with, and unlocked disengagement from an aperture in the sliding door which is registrable with the bolt when the door is in the closed position. Conventional locks of this type have been relatively complex in construction, and the bolts thereof cumbersome to manipulate between locked and unlocked position. Typically the bolt is slidably and/or rotatably mounted in a sleeve portion of the mounting bracket and spring biased toward an extended position of locked engagement with the door aperture. Often these locks are situated in comers where the exercise of the manual dexterity required to operate them is further inhibited by the awkward position one must assume to reach them.

SUMMARY-OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improved lock for sliding patio doors or other sliding sashes which is simple in construction and very easily manipulablebetween locked and unlocked position.

A lock in accordance with the present invention comprises a bracket or equivalent mounting-element adapted for secura nce'to the sill of a slidng patio door, or the like, a lock boltcarried by the mounting element translatable towards or away from the door betweenan extended locked position of engagement with an aperture in the door and a retracted unlocked position of disengagement from the aperture, and overcenter spring means secured between the mounting element and the bolt for imparting a toggle action to the bolt. The bolt is moved to the unlocked position by a pedal cover impingingon the spring means,.forcing the spring to drive the bolt to the unlocked position, with the spring means acting as a stop. Thespring also functions as a keeper to maintain the bolt in both the locked and unlocked position. With this simple construction the bolt is easily actuated by either foot or hand pressure to the unlocked position by depressing the pedal and to the locked position by urging the bolt toward the aperture in the door.

THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a broken perspective view of a sliding patio door embodying'a lock in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation sectional view of the lock of the present invention. in the locked position, and cooperatingportions of the sliding door;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation sectional view of the lock of the present invention in the unlocked position;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation view of the lock of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a rear elevation of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT tudinally along a track 14 in a conventional manner. In order that the door may be locked in its closed position wherein the sash is in end abutment with the jamb 16 of the frame, there is provided a lock 17 in accordance with the present invention which is preferably mounted on the sill of the door adjacent the jamb in an unobtrusive manner. The lock 17 consists of a bracket 20 se' cured to the sill through mounting holes 21, a cover 22 vertically slidably affixed to the bracket, and a locking bolt 25 laterally slidable through the bracket 20, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. The bolt has a head 24 which limits translation in the locked direction.

The interior construction of the present invention, shown in FIG. 3, includes an overcenter spring means 30 secured at one end to the notch 31 in the bolt 25, and at the other end to the bracket 20. The spring end in the notch acts as a stop for determining the retracted position of the bolt. The spring 30 is preferably a band spring of omega (0) configuration, functioning as a :keeper for resiliently retaining the bolt in its extended or retracted position with its toggle action. Secured to the inside top of the cover 22 is a short screw 32 received through .the hole 33 in the bracket, with the head 34 of the screw acting as a stop to determine the limit ofupward vertical travel of the cover.

In the locked position-as shown in FIG. 3, the bolt is received in the aperture 36 of the sash l3, preventing any sliding translation of the sash. To open the door 11 the bolt is retracted from the locked positionby applying either hand or foot pressure downwardon the cover 22, forcing the cover to slide down on the bracket 20, the sides of. the cover'acting as a guide on the bracket. The head 34 of the screw carried by thecover impinges on the curved portion of the spring 30, compressing it and forcing it through the center position until the end of the spring in.the notch 31 springs out, drawing the bolt out of the aperture 36. The bolt continues to travel laterally until stopped by the spring contacting the bracket 20, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 6. The bolt is free of the aperture, arid the door can be opened at will;

It should be noted that the neutral center'position of the omega spring is reached as the linear portions of the spring 30 are substantially normal to the bolt 25. When the spring is moved beyond the neutral. position in ei ther direction, the spring force exerted onthe bolt is in' the same direction, urging the bolt onward. Therefore locking the closed door 1 Us accomplished by, applying lateral pressure, usuallyby foot'or hand, to the bolt, urging it to engage the aperture 36. Thecurved section of the spring compresses as it approaches thecenter position while it also forces the-screw head verticallyupward, lifting the cover. As the spring passes through the neutral position it expands, exerting force to drive the bolt into the aperture, securing the door.

Thus the preferred extremely simple construction of the present invention provides a'lock which is easily actuated to locked or unlocked position with either foot or hand pressure, allowing for ready operation in hardto-reach locations. It-should be noted that the lock may be mounted on the translatableportion of a sliding sash;

assembly registrable with an aperture in the stationary portion of the assembly. Further, the lock and associ ated aperture may be situated at any convenient point along the sliding sash, according to the requirements of the installation. The lock may also be used to maintain thesliding door or sash immobile in an open orpartially open condition. y

I claim:

l. A lock for two members linearly translatable with respect to each other to secure said two members immobily together, said lock comprising a mounting element adapted for securance to the first of said two members, a lock bolt mounted upon'said element for I translation transversely of the second of said two members between an extended locked position of engagement with an aperture in said second member and a retracted unlocked position of disengagement therefrom, overcenter spring means secured between said mounting element and said lock bolt selectively effective to urge said lock bolt to said locked position, or to said unlocked position, and cover means mounted upon said mounting means for slidable translation between an extended position and a retracted position of impingement upon said spring means to force said spring means to urge said lock bolt to said unlocked position.

2. The lock according to claim 1 wherein said mounting element comprises a bracket including a pair of par allel spaced walls extending right angularly from an interconnecting bracket web.

3. The lock according to claim 2 wherein said spaced walls have aligned apertures slidably transversed by said bolt.

4. The lock according to claim 3 wherein said cover means includes parallel spaced sides perpendicular to said spaced walls and extending right-angularly from and interconnecting top web.

5. The lock according to claim 4 wherein said spring means comprises an omega-shaped band spring including a U-shaped central portion with aligned oppositely directed lineal portions. extending from its opposite ends.

6. The lock according to claim 5 wherein the first of said lineal portions is end secured to said bracket web and the second of said linear portions being end secured to said lock bolt.

7. The lock of claim 6 wherein said second linear portion is engageable with one of said bracket walls to determine said unlocked position of said lock bolt.

8. The lock according to claim 5 wherein said cover means further includes rod means depending from said top web and received through an opening in said bracket web, said rod means suitably aligned for impingement upon said U-shaped portion of said spring.

9. The lock according to claim 7 wherein said lock bolt has an enlarged head atone end engageable with said first of said walls in said locked position of said bolt and spaced apart therefrom in said unlocked position. 4! k 1 i 

1. A lock for two members linearly translatable with respect to each other to secure said two members immobily together, said lock comprising a mounting element adapted for securance to the first of said two members, a lock bolt mounted upon said element for translation transversely of the second of said two members between an Extended locked position of engagement with an aperture in said second member and a retracted unlocked position of disengagement therefrom, overcenter spring means secured between said mounting element and said lock bolt selectively effective to urge said lock bolt to said locked position, or to said unlocked position, and cover means mounted upon said mounting means for slidable translation between an extended position and a retracted position of impingement upon said spring means to force said spring means to urge said lock bolt to said unlocked position.
 2. The lock according to claim 1 wherein said mounting element comprises a bracket including a pair of parallel spaced walls extending right angularly from an interconnecting bracket web.
 3. The lock according to claim 2 wherein said spaced walls have aligned apertures slidably transversed by said bolt.
 4. The lock according to claim 3 wherein said cover means includes parallel spaced sides perpendicular to said spaced walls and extending right-angularly from and interconnecting top web.
 5. The lock according to claim 4 wherein said spring means comprises an omega-shaped band spring including a U-shaped central portion with aligned oppositely directed lineal portions extending from its opposite ends.
 6. The lock according to claim 5 wherein the first of said lineal portions is end secured to said bracket web and the second of said linear portions being end secured to said lock bolt.
 7. The lock of claim 6 wherein said second linear portion is engageable with one of said bracket walls to determine said unlocked position of said lock bolt.
 8. The lock according to claim 5 wherein said cover means further includes rod means depending from said top web and received through an opening in said bracket web, said rod means suitably aligned for impingement upon said U-shaped portion of said spring.
 9. The lock according to claim 7 wherein said lock bolt has an enlarged head at one end engageable with said first of said walls in said locked position of said bolt and spaced apart therefrom in said unlocked position. 